An aldehyde and a ketone are both organic compounds containing a carbonyl functional group C=O . The difference between them lies in the position of the carbonyl group and the presence or absence of a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon.In an aldehyde, the carbonyl group is located at the end of a carbon chain, and the carbonyl carbon is bonded to a hydrogen atom and an alkyl or aryl group. The general formula for an aldehyde is RCHO, where R represents an alkyl or aryl group, and CHO represents the carbonyl group with the attached hydrogen atom.In a ketone, the carbonyl group is located within the carbon chain, and the carbonyl carbon is bonded to two alkyl or aryl groups. The general formula for a ketone is RCOR', where R and R' represent alkyl or aryl groups, and CO represents the carbonyl group.Example of an aldehyde: Formaldehyde HCHO Example of a ketone: Acetone CH3COCH3 The presence or absence of a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon in aldehydes and ketones leads to differences in their properties:1. Reactivity: Aldehydes are generally more reactive than ketones due to the presence of the hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon. This makes aldehydes more susceptible to nucleophilic attack, as the hydrogen atom is less electron-donating compared to alkyl or aryl groups in ketones.2. Oxidation: Aldehydes can be easily oxidized to carboxylic acids, whereas ketones are resistant to oxidation. This is because the hydrogen atom in aldehydes can be replaced by an oxygen atom during oxidation, whereas ketones lack this hydrogen atom.3. Reduction: Both aldehydes and ketones can be reduced to alcohols. However, aldehydes are reduced to primary alcohols, while ketones are reduced to secondary alcohols. This is due to the presence of the hydrogen atom in aldehydes, which is replaced by an alkyl or aryl group during reduction.In summary, the main difference between aldehydes and ketones lies in the presence or absence of a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon, which affects their reactivity, oxidation, and reduction properties.